Your business’s door is much more than just an entrance. It not only serves as the first line of defense against forced entries, but it also dictates the overall perception guests have of your company upon immediate arrival. Because of this, commercial glass door installation with Houston’s Buffalo Glass is an integral aspect of your Houston company’s upkeep and maintenance routine. Not only does it keep your company’s entryway from looking welcoming and visually appealing, but it also keeps it safe and sound.
By learning about the primary types of commercial doors in Houston, you can understand what makes each type unique and what specific challenges they face. Buffalo Glass is Houston’s premier company for installing and repairing commercial doors. Use this as your guide to all things commercial glass doors and how they can benefit your Houston business.
The Anatomy of a Commercial Glass Door
While commercial glass doors offer a modern, sleek visual style, they are composed of several key elements that require precise care for optimal reliability. Understanding the critical anatomy of commercial glass doors can help you better understand repairs, while also setting your Houston storefront up for longevity.
The essential hardware in all commercial glass doors includes:
- Door closers: This part of the glass door controls speed and force when the door closes. The most common options are overhead closers and more aesthetic concealed floor closers.
- Pivots and hinges: These are some of the most integral parts of the glass door anatomy. Not only do they help with the opening and closing movements, but they also support the full weight of the glass pane.
- Panic hardware: In many commercial businesses, push bar hardware is an essential fire safety system in case of emergencies. These help people exit quickly and safely in the event of a dangerous fire.
Aside from the glass pane itself and the core components, the last, but essential element is the framing system. When it comes to commercial glass doors for Houston businesses, they need a heavy-duty, thermally broken aluminum or steel frame to ensure complete stability and reliability. The frame helps support the glass pane and keeps it from getting damaged by everyday wear and tear.
The Most Functional Types of Commercial Glass Doors
Choosing the best-suited type of commercial glass door for your Houston business is the best way to avoid repairs. Not only can it keep avoidable repairs at bay, but choosing the correct door can also help improve your satisfaction with the door’s daily use. The biggest differences between the main types of commercial glass doors are the way they open, but even these slight differences can make a huge impact on your storefront’s entryway.
Standard Swing Doors
This is the most common type of commercial glass door in Houston and is excellent for a large variety of applications. You often see standard swing commercial glass doors in office complexes, retail entries, and interior partitions within buildings. These typically use vertical hinges or pivots to swing outwards or inwards upon opening and closing. They can be single or double leaf, depending on your business’s unique needs.
One of the best reasons to choose a standard swing design for your commercial glass door in Houston is its simplicity. Unlike other popular types of doors, these require far fewer mechanical functions to open and close smoothly. Not only does it make them cheaper, but it also lessens the ways it can fail down the line. If reliability and cost effectiveness are your priority, a standard swing glass door is a great option for your Houston office.
Lastly, making sure your commercial glass door is within the Americans with Disabilities Act regulations is essential. Standard swing glass doors are some of the most accessible for people with mobility issues, making them ideal for maintaining ADA accessibility.
Automatic Sliding Glass Doors – Sensory Entry
If your Houston business needs to maximize volume, accessibility, and climate control, then an automatic sliding glass door is the perfect solution. These are the most sophisticated, modern commercial glass door options available and are essential for busy buildings that need to optimize traffic flow.
These glass doors move side-to-side horizontally, triggered by a motion sensor and powered by a motor. To operate safely without any bulky metal frames, these doors require tempered safety glass.
Additionally, since these sliding glass doors are completely clear, many Houston businesses opt for an insulated glass unit or a low-E coating to accompany the tempered pane. Insulated glass units are made by taking two panes of glass and placing a spacer bar between them. This bar is filled with an inert gas, oftentimes argon gas, to help slow the transfer of heat between the inside and the outside. Low-E coatings are made by applying a microscopic metal coating to the pane, which helps refract light and reduce warm sunrays from coming through the glass.
Frameless Commercial Glass Doors
In Houston’s modern architectural landscape, modern and sleek is in, and bulky, chrome-finish frames are out. Because of this, frameless commercial glass doors can help play a key role in elevating your business’s curbside aesthetics. These doors feature full glass panes with metal support only at the top and bottom fittings. These are often called patch fittings, and while they offer support for the pane, at Buffalo Glass in Houston, we always use a laminated or tempered security glass for frameless commercial glass doors. This allows for a beautiful, modern style while also protecting your business from break-ins and injuries from accidental shattering. Frameless commercial glass doors are ideal for any Houston business that prioritizes maximizing its natural light and visual appeal.
Custom Glass Door Design For Your Houston Business
Boosting the entryway of your Houston business with a custom commercial glass door is the best way to make a lasting impact on guests. By selecting a glass door design that showcases your business’s branding, you can expand your company’s reach beyond your office walls. Here are some of our top-performing customizations at Buffalo Glass:
- Frame finishes: Including painted steel frames or stainless steel
- Etching and sandblasting: Creating an elegant frosted effect, perfect for logos or increased privacy.
- Modern vs. traditional pulls: You can completely customize and tailor the hardware on your door to your preference.
Regardless of what your style choices are, at Buffalo Glass, we strive to help find the perfect solution for our commercial glass door clients in Houston.
Why Choose Professional Installation for Your Commercial Glass Door
When it comes to installing a commercial glass door in your Houston business, the best course of action is always working with an expert team like Buffalo Glass. Not only have we been working in the Houston area for over 70 years, but we also only use the highest quality materials in order to leave you with results that look beautiful and last for years to come. Without professional service, your glass door could be unstable, faulty, or even dangerous, depending on the closure method. Choose Buffalo Glass for a flawless installation and a commercial glass door that will make your Houston business stand out. Contact us today for a free commercial glass door installation estimate!